Magnetic game board



Oct. 5, 1965 s. RAEL ETAL MAGNETIC GAME BOARD Filed Sept. 7. 1962 INVENTORS 601. Ran. [(444 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,210,080 MAGNETIC GAME BOARD Sol Rae], 14144-73 Terrace, Flushing, N.Y., and Karl Domberger, 68-04 53rd Road, Maspeth, N.Y. Filed Sept. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 222,159 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-136) The present invention relates generally to improvements in games and in particular it relates to an improved card playing device.

The playing of card games is generally limited to the indoors or protected places and on stable supports by reason of the nature of the cards which are of relatively large area and low Weight. As a consequence, even a light breeze will lift a playing card from a table and dislodge it so that the playing of card games out of doors in any but the calmest weather is all but impossible for practical purposes. Moreover, card playing is likewise difficult where the table or game board is not steadily maintained. Many expedients have been proposed for permitting the playing of card games out of doors and in the presence of winds or other unstabilizing influences, but these possess many drawbacks and disadvantages. They have generally been bulky and awkward arrangements for card gripping and so difficult and ineffioient to employ as to appreciably detract from the playing of the game itself. It is thus apparent that the proposed devices for the playing of card games out of doors or under unsteady conditions leave much to be desired and as a result they have not enjoyed any widespread acceptance or commercial success.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved game apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved card game playing apparatus.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus which facilitates the playing of card games out of doors in the presence of strong breezes and other unstable conditions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved game board which will releasably retain thereon superimposed cards of magnetic material against the forces of ambient breezes or winds as Well as movement and vibration.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved game board of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity, versatility, ease of use, attractive appearance and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a game board embodying the present invention, playing cards being illustrated retained in various positions on the game board;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the improved game board.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of a game board comprising a base panel formed of a magnetic material and a plurality of spaced permanent magnet elements positioned along the top face of said base panel. The base panel is advantageously a flat sheet and the magnet elements are likewise substantially flat pieces superimposed upon and transversely and longitudinally spaced along the base panel and the magnetic axes of the elements are perpendicular thereto.

According to a preferred form of the present invention, there is superimposed on the base panel a correspondingice 1y shaped spacer panel of non-magnetic material having spaced apertures formed therein in which the respective magnet elements are nested, the upper faces of the magnet elements being substantially coplanar with the upper face of the spacer sheet. The opposite faces of the superimposed magnet elements, base and spacer panels are covered by adherent facing sheets and the assembly is secured along a line spaced inwardly of the assembly periphery to an underlying support panel to provide a peripheral grooves delineated by the confronting faces of the upper panel assembly and support panel.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved game board of the present invention which includes an underlying support member 11 and a pair of superimposed magnetic retaining assemblies 12. Support member 11 comprises a pair of side-by-side relatively stiff rectangular panels 13 formed of wood, cardboard, plastic or other suitable material and hinged to each other along adjacent longitudinal edges, which arrangement permits the folding or collapsing of the support plate and game board to facilitate the storing and carrying thereof. In the extended position of panels 13, support member 11 is preferably of square configuration. The underface, peripheral edges and upper peripheral border of the support member are covered by any suitable facing material 14, such as paper or the like, which is cemented to the panels 13.

Superimposed on the top face of each of the panels 13 is a rectangular magnet retaining assembly 12 of slight- 1y smaller dimensions than the corresponding underlying panel 13, the outer edges of each of assemblies 12 being inwardly spaced from the respective outer edges of panels 13 to delineate a peripheral exposed border 16 of uniform width, the adjacent longitudinal edges of assemblies 12 being in relatively close confrontation. Each magnet retainer assembly 12 includes a base panel 17, a spacer panel 18, a plurality of permanent magnet elements 19 and a facing sheet 20.

Base panel 17 is a thin flat rectangular panel formed of any suitable magnetic material, such as soft iron. Superimposed upon and preferably adhered to the top face of the base panel 17 is the rectangular spacer panel 18 of larger dimensions than base panel 17. The outer side and end borders of the spacer panel 18 project beyond the corresponding edges of the base panel 17 Whereas the inner edges 21 and 22 of the base and spacer panels substantially coincide. Formed in spacer panel 18 are a plurality of longitudinally and transversely regularly spaced rectangular locating apertures 23 which overlie the top face of base panel 17. Spacer panel 18 is advantageously formed of a non-magnetic material, such as cardboard or the like.

Snugly nesting in each of the spacer panel apertures 23 is a flat permanent magnet element 19 of substantially the same size and configuration as those of aperture 23. The underfaces of magnet elements 19 are in overlying abutment with base panel 17 and the top faces thereof are preferably coplanar with the top face of spacer panel 18. Advantageously, the magnetic axes of elements 19 are perpendicular to the planes of elements 19 and all the elements associated with a panel 17 are preferably oriented in the same direction. As a consequence, the upper faces of the elements define one magnetic pole and the surrounding area, as delineated by the area of the base panel 17 not covered by the elements 19, defines an opposite magnetic pole. Further, the magnetic axes of elements 19 associated with opposite base panels 17 are oppositely oriented. Thus, when the game board is closed, the confronting faces of opposing magnetic elements 19 are opposite magnetic poles whereby to keep the magnetization thereof. While the permanent magnet elements 19 may be formed of anysuitable material, it has been found advantageous to employ a synthetic, preferably elastomeric or flexible, organic plastic material having commonly oriented permanently magnetized particles dispersed therein.

Facing sheet 20, which may be formed of paper or other suitable material, includes a rectangular panel 24 of the same dimensions as the spacer panel 18 superimposed on and cemented to panel 18. Projecting from the edges of the panel 24 are coextensive flaps 26 which extend around the peripheral edges of spacer panel 18 and along the borders of the underfaces of the spacer and base panels 18 and 17 and are suitably adhered thereto to complete the assembly of the magnetic retaining member or panel 12. It should be noted that the portion of the flaps 26 registering with the border of base panel 17 is downwardly offset relative to that section thereof registering with the border of spacer panel 18. An assemled magnetic retaining panel 12 is afiixed to each of the support panels 13, in the relative positions earlier described, by cementing the confronting abutting faces of the fiaps 26 and facing sheet 14 along the border of the base panel 17 to form a thin deep groove 27 along the periphery of the game board as delineated by the confronting spaced faces of the borders of the support member 11 and the magnetic panels 12.

The game board described above is employed with playing cards 28 which are of a magnetic material. They may be formed, for example, of any suitable synthetic organic thermoplastic resin having a finely divided magnetic material uniformly dispersed therein. When a card 28 is laid on the magnetic panel 12, it is firmly held thereon by the concentrated relatively strong magnetic field passing from the underlying magnet elements 19 through the card 28 and back to the underlying base panel 17. It should be noted that a plurality of cards may be magnetically retained on the board 10 in any arrangement, in superimposed, spaced and overlapping relationships. Cards 28, although firmly retained by "the board 10, may be readily separated therefrom as desired. In addition, cards 28 may be inserted in the grooves 27 where they are likewise firmly held and may be readily detached as desired. It is clear from the above that with the present apparatus, card games may beeasily and conveniently played out of doors, even in the presence of strong winds as Well as in unstable and moving environments, such as on trains and the like.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, additions and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

l. A game board comprising a substantially flat base panel formed of a magnetic material, a spacer panel superimposed upon and projecting beyond said base panel and having a plurality of spaced apertures formed therein, a plurality of substantially fiat permanent magnets superimposed upon said base panel and registering with said apertures and having axes substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof, a support panel underlying and projecting beyond said base panel and secured thereto inwardly of the outer edges of said spacer panel and said support panel to form a peripheral groove delineated by the confronting faces of the peripheral borders of said spacer panel and said support panel which project beyond and are spaced by said base panel.

2. The game board of claim 1, including 21 facing sheet superimposed on said spacer panel and said magnet elements.

3. The game board of claim 1, wherein said spacer panel is formed of a non-magnetic material.

4. The game board of claim 1, including a facing sheet sandwiched between said base panel and said support panel and adhered to said base panel along said peripheral border.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,624,741 4/27 Leppke et al. 40-142 1,735,883 11/29 Smith. 2,158,368 5/39 Hurt. 2,600,951 6/52 Edwards.

DELBERT "B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GAME BOARD COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BASE PANEL FORMED OF A MAGNETIC MATERIAL, A SPACER PANEL SUPERIMPOSED UPON AND PROJECTING BEYOND SAID BASE PANEL AND HAVING APLURALITY OF SPACED APERTURES FORMED THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PERMANENT MAGNETS SUPERIMPOSED UPON SAID BASE PANEL AND REGISTERING WITH SAID APERTURES AND HAVING AXES SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE THEREOF, A SUPPORT PANEL UNDERLYING AND PROJECTING BEYOND SAID BASE PANEL AND SECURED THERETO INWARDLY OF THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID SPACER APNEL AND SAID SUPPORT PANEL TO FORM A PERIPHERAL GROOVE DILINEATED BY THE CONFRONTING FACE OF THE PERIPHERAL BOARDERS OF SAID SPACER PANEL AND SAID SUPPORT PANEL WHICH PROJECT BEYOND AND ARE SPACED BY SAID BASE PANEL. 